• by John Capone , October 21, 2010

Digitaria, the 110-person (and growing) San Diego-based digital marketing agency acquired by WPP's JWT late this summer, has named Tom Siebert its vice president of communications. Siebert -- who had led communications at Brooklyn, N.Y.-based Huge, which is part owned by the Interpublic Group -- starts his new position with Digitaria in San Diego immediately.

Siebert says he immensely enjoyed his tenure at Huge during a time of unprecedented growth for the agency, and that he relocated to the West Coast when personal reasons forced him to do so. "I was thrilled to find a company as vital to the digital marketing industry as Digitaria," he says, adding: "I immediately recognized what JWT did: These guys are the real deal. I'm exhilarated to land here so quickly, and eager to bring them the recognition they deserve."

Previously, Siebert had lent key support to IPG's Initiative, leading communications. During his two-year stint, Siebert played key roles in efforts such as concepting the lauded "Mad Age" throwback Ad Age edition for Lionsgate's Mad Men and lending support to other award-winning campaigns.

Legend has it that Siebert (a former MediaPost staffer) also came up with the idea for "Shark Week" while working in the programming department at The Discovery Channel in the late 1980s, although he concedes it began as a joke during a brainstorming session.

Siebert has also held executive PR jobs at Havas' MPG media unit, based in New York, and Baltimore full-service shops Carton Donofrio Partners, and Trahan, Burden & Charles. He has also served as editor at large for this organization, and ran Adweek's Southeast bureau. His writing has appeared in Rolling Stone, The Washington Post, and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, as well as other outlets. 

In addition to giving Siebert the communications reins, Digitaria has promoted Reena Leone to marketing and social media coordinator, reporting to Siebert.